Bulletin of the European Communities Supplement 2/86 Single European Act EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES Commission This publication is also available in the following languages: ES ISBN 92-825-5966-1 DA ISBN 92-825-5962-9 DE ISBN 92-825-5963-7 GR ISBN 92-825-5964-5 FR ISBN 92-825-5967-X IT ISBN 92-825-5968-8 NL ISBN 92-825-5969-6 PT ISBN 92-825-5970-X Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 1986 ISBN 92-825-5965-3 Catalogue number: CB-NF-86-002-EN-C Articles and texts appearing in this publication may be reproduced freely in whole or in part providing their source is mentioned. Printed in Belgium contents Title I Common provisions 7 Title II Provisions amending the Treaties establishing the Euro- pean Communities 8 Title III Provisions on European cooperation in the sphere of foreign policy 18 Title IV General and final provisions 20 Final Act 21 3-4 His Majesty the King of the Belgians, more effectively to protect its common interests and independence, in particular to display the principles Her Majesty the Queen of Denmark, of democracy and compliance with the law arid with The President of the Federal Republic of Germany, human rights to which they. are attached, so that together they may make their own contribution to The President of the Hellenic Republic, the preservation of international peace and security His Majesty the King of Spain, in accordance with the .. undertaking entere.d into by them within the framework of the United Nations The President of the French Republic, Charter, The President of Ireland, Determined to improve the economic and social The President of the Italian Republic, situation by extending common. policies and pur­ His Royal Highness the Grand DUke of Luxem­ suing new objectives, and to ensure a smoother bourg, functioning of the Communities by enabling the institutions to exercise their powers under condi­ Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands, tions most in keeping with Community interests, The. President of the Portuguese Republic, Whereas at their Conference in Paris from 19 to 21 Her MajestY the Queen of the United Kingdom of October 1972 the Heads of State or of Government Great Britain and Northern Ireland, approved the objective of the progressive realiza­ tionof economic and monetary union: Moved by the will to continue the work undertaken on the basis of the Treaties establishing the Euro­ Having regard to the Annex to the conclusions of pean Communities and to transform relations as a the Presidency of the European Council in Bremen whole among their States into a European Union, on 6 and 7 July 1978 and the Resolution of the in accordance with the Solemn Declaration of European Council in Brussels on 5 December 1978 Stuttgart of 19 June 1893. on the introduction of the European Monetary System (EMS) and related questions, and noting Resolved to implement this European Union on the that in accordance with that Resolution, the Com­ basis, firstly, of the Communities operating in munity and the Central Banks of the Member States accordance with their own rules and, secondly, of have taken a number of measures intended to European Cooperation among the Signatory States implement monetary cooperation, in the sphere of foreign policy and to invest this union with the necessary means of action, Have decided to adopt this Act and to this end have Determined to work together to promote demo­ designated as their plenipotentiaries: cracy on the basis of the fundamental rights rec­ ognized in the constitutions and laws of the Member States, in the Convention for the Protec­ tion of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms His Majesty the King of the Belgians, and the European Social Charter, notably freedom, equality and social justice, Mr Leo Tindemans, Minister for External Relations; Convinced that the European idea, the results Her Majesty the Queen of Denmark, achieved in the fields of economic integration and Mr Uffe Ellemann-Jensen, political cooperation, and the need for new deve­ Minister for Foreign Affairs; lopments correspond to the wishes of the demo­ cratic peoples of Europe, for whom the European The President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Parliament, elected by universal suffi'age, is an Mr Hans-Dietrich Genscher, indispensable means of expression, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs; Aware of the responsibility incumbent upon Europe The President of the Hellenic Republic, to aim at speaking ever increasingly with one voice Mr Karoles Papou/ias, and to act with consistency and solidarity in order Minister for Foreign Affairs; S.2/86 s His Majesty the King of Spain, Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands, Mr Francisco Fernandez Ordonez. Mr Hans van den Broek, Minister for Foreign Affairs; Minister for Foreign Affairs; The President of the French Republic, The President of the Portuguese Republic, Mr Roland Dumas, Mr Pedro Pires de Miranda, Minister for External Relations; Minister for Foreign Affairs; The President of Ireland, Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Mr Peter Barry, TD, Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Minister for Foreign Affairs; Mrs Lynda Chalker, Minister of State, Foreign and The President of the Italian· Republic, Commonwealth Office, Mr Giulio Andreotti, Minister for Foreign Affairs; His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Who, having exchanged their full powers, found in Mr Robert Goebbels, good and due fonn, have agreed as follows: State Secretary for Foreign Affairs; 6 s. 2/86 TITLE I Article 2 The European Council shall bring together the Heads of State or of Government of the Member Col1)mon provisions States and the President of the Commission of the European Communities. They shall be assisted by the Ministers for Foreign Affairs and by a Member Article I of the Commission. The European Communities and European Politi­ The European Council shall meet at least twice a cal Cooperation shall have as their objective to year. contribute together to malting concrete progress towards European unity. Article 3 The European Communities shall be founded on I. The institutions of the European Communities, the Treaties establishing the European Coal and henceforth designated as referred to hereafter, shall Steel Community, the European Economic Com­ exercise their powers and jurisdiction under the munity, the European Atomic Energy Community conditions and for the purposes provided for by the and on the subsequent Treaties and Acts modifYing Treaties establishing the Communities and by tile or supplementing them. subsequent Treaties and Acts modifYing or supple­ menting them and by the provisions ofTitle·u. Political Cooperation shall be governed by Title III. The provisions of the Title shall confirm and sup­ 2 The institutions and bodies responsible for plement the procedures agreed in the reports of European Political Cooperation shall exercise their Luxembourg ( 1970), Copenhagen (1973), Lon­ powers and jurisdiction under the conditions and don (1981), the Solemn Declaration on European for the purposes laid down in Title III and in the Union ( 1983) and the practices gradually establish­ documents referred to in the third paragraph of ed among the Member States. Article l. s. 2/86 7 TITLE II panially renewed every three years. Retiring mem­ bers shall be eligible for reappointment. Provisions amending 4. That coun shall establish its rules of procedure in agreement with the Court of Justice. Those rules the Treaties establishing shall require the unanimous approval of the Coun­ the European Communities cil.' Anicle 5 Chapter I Article 45 of the ECSC Treaty shall be supplemen­ ted by the following paragraph: Provisions amending the Treaty establishing the European Coal 'The Council may, acting unanimously at the request of the Court of Justice and after consulting the and Steel Community Commission and the European Parliament, amend the provisions of Title III of the Statute. ' · Anic/e 4 The ECSC Treaty shall be supplemented by the Chapter II following provisions: 'Anic/e 32d Provisions amending the Treaty 1. At the request of the Court of Justice and after establishing the European consulting the Commission and the European Par­ Economic Community liament, the Council may, acting unanimously, attach to the Coun ofJustice a court with jurisdiction to hear and determine at first instance, subject to a SECTION I right ofappeal to the Court ofJustice on points oflaw only and in accordance with the conditions laid down Institutional provisions by the Statute, certain classes ofaction or proceeding brought by natural or legal persons. That court shall Anic/e 6 not be competent to hear and determine actions brought by Member States or by Community insti­ 1. A cooperation procedure shall be introduced tutions or questions referred for a preliminary ruling which shall apply to acts based on Anicles 7, 49, under Article 41. 54(2), 56(2), second sentence, 57 with the exception of the second sentence ofparagraph 2 thereof, 100A. 2. The Council, following the procedure laid down 100 B, 118 A, 130 E and 130 Q(2) of the EEC in paragraph 1, shall determine the composition of Treaty. that court and adopt the necessary adjustments and additional provisions to the Statute of the Court of 2. In Article 7, second paragraph of the EEC Justice. Unless the Council decides otherwise, the Treaty the terms 'after consulting the Assembly' provisions of this Treaty relating to the Court of shall be replaced by 'in cooperation with the Euro­ Justice, in particular the